Cozad rallies past Ford to claim EDGA Amateur title

North East graduate Tyler Cozad wins by two strokes, finishes 2 under for the tournament.

Mike Copper @ETNCopper

Tyler Cozad said whenever he's experienced a disappointing warmup session at a driving range, it doesn't mean a similar round automatically follows.

Still, the one he endured Sunday gave him greater pause than normal.

Cozad was, after all, getting ready to play in the last group that teed off for the third and final round of the 97th annual EDGA Marquette Savings Bank Amateur Tournament. The North East graduate arrived at Lake Shore Country Club's No. 1 tee box one shot behind second-round leader Zack Ford.

Although also paired with Corry golfer Daniel Leek, Cozad and Ford turned their closing 18 stroke-play holes into a personal match play to determine the Amateur's winner.

That player, thanks to three birdies on the back nine, was Cozad. The Green Meadows Golf Course employee rallied from two strokes behind Ford to take his own two-stroke lead with two holes left.

Cozad, 26, then maintained that margin by posting the tournament's low round. His 3-under 69 left him with an overall score of 2-under 214.

“I just stayed patient,” Cozad said. “I knew I was behind a little bit, but I didn't want to know (how far) I was so I could stick to my game plan. I wanted to take the opportunities when they came. At the end there, they all came together.”

Ford, a 2016 Cochranton graduate who played for Meadville's co-op golf team, ended Sunday in the same place he started. The East Tennessee State sophomore finished even at 216.

Ford said he actually felt better about his even-par 72 than Saturday's 2-under 70, which gave him the outright lead at the time.

“I didn't play bad (Sunday). I just missed a couple putts coming down the stretch,” Ford said. “There were six- to eight-footers that I maybe should have made, and I also didn't hit the irons as well as I should. They weren't as close (to the pin) as they were the last two rounds.”

Ford mentioned missing the 17th green with a pitching wedge as his most crucial wayward shot. That led to his bogey five, while Cozad carded a four.

Bigger than that, though, was the two-stroke lead Cozard carried into the par-three 18th. His tee shot over that hole's signature cavern, and the ensuing two putts that followed, made for an academic ending.

Cozad was the first of two golfers with North East ties who won major titles at Lake Shore on Sunday. Megan Moylan, another former Grapepicker, became this year's EDWGA Amateur Tournament titlist hours later.

“There's also the Swan (siblings) and Alec (Hite) out there,” Cozad said. “I don't know what's going on, but we'll take it. The Grapepickers will take it.”

As for Ford, being a handful of holes away from calling himself an EDGA victor will push him to work all the more to make that phrase a personal reality.

“Oh yeah, this is going to push me,” Ford said. “I'm probably going to go home right now and practice some more.”

Mike Copper can be reached at 870-1614 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNcopper.